Red Cross Helps Families, Homeowners Affected by Quake

Gordon Patty and Alta Sutherland lived in California for seven years without experiencing an earthquake – until Sunday.

“It started happening, and it was super noisy,” Patty said.

While they and their son Willen were terrified, their infant daughter Mave didn’t even notice.

“She slept through it, of course,” Sutherland said.

While the damage to their home was minor, their power was knocked out. They needed to go somewhere for food and water, so they turned to the American Red Cross shelter set up at the nearby Crosswalk Community Church.

“They had this evacuation center open here at the church at about 9 o’clock,” Red Cross spokesperson Woody Baker-Cohen said.

Throughout the day, around 70 others came to the shelter.

“The power is not on yet where I live, so I can’t cook dinner,” Chris Jacobs said. “You know, that’s the thing. They’re there when you need them.”

The Red Cross says many are donating clothing, food and bottled water, but what they really need are cash donations.